Mail catching and delivery system.



QU- W W. WENZEL.

MAIL'GATOHING AND DELIVERY SYSTEM- APPLICATION FILED DEC. 21, 1907.

PATENTED FEB. 25, 1908.

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MAIL GATGHING AND DELIVERY SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 21 190'7- 3 SHEETS-SHEET}.

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No. 880,259. PATENTED FEB. 25, 1908.

W. WENZBL.

MAIL GATGHING AND DELIVERY SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 21, 1907.

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WALTER WENZEL, or CHICAGOILLINOIS.

MAIL GATCHING AND DELIVERY SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 25, 1908.

Application filed December 21. 1907. Serial No. 407.494.

' of the track.

My invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a mail car equipped with a mail pouch catching and delivery device and also showing the crane, the figure illustrating a pouch as having been taken .from the crane and another about to be delivered to the crane. Fig. 2 is a detail planview illustrating a horizontal section through the side of the car at one of the doors to show the swing of the catching and delivery arms. Fig. 3 is a similar view upon an enlarged scale illustrating the catching device at the instant it engages the pouch on the crane to remove it therefrom. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, illustrating the delivery device at the instant it leaves a pouch upon the crane. Fig. 5 is a detail plan view of the delivery device upon' an enlarged scale illustrating a mail pouch being delivered to the crane and at the instant before the pouch is unlocked from the delivery device. Fig. 6 is a similar view at an instant after the pouch is unlocked from the device. tical transverse section of the delivery de- Fig. 8 is a plan view of the delivery device in looking position, the crane arms being omitted. Fig. 9 is a bottom plan view of the deliverydevice. Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the locking ring. Fig. 11 is a vertical section of the pouch catching device. Fig. 12 is a plan view of the catching device at the instant that the locking ring engages the pouch. Fig. 18 is a perspective view of the preferred form of pouch. Figs. 14 and 15 are details of the locking device.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a mail car having the usual doors 2 and 3 arranged near the opposite ends thereof. At

Fig. 7 is a ver' one of the doors I arrange a mail catching device, 4 and at the other door a mail delivery device, 5. For reasons which will be obvious as the description proceeds I prefer to arrange the mail catching device, which takes a mail pouch from the crane, at the forward door of the car; and arrange the mail delivery device at the rear door.

The mail catching device comprises an arm hingedly connected to the car, means at the end of the arm for engaging the mail pouch which has been previously placed upon a suitable crane, and means for automatically locking the pouch to the arm at the instant that the engaging device is centered above the pouch.

In order that the operation of the catching and delivery device may be better understood, I will first describe the preferred form of mail pouch which is designed to be used therewith and the crane. Referring to Fig. 13 the pouch comprises a receptacle, 6 formed of leather, canvas or other suitable material. To'the upper portion of the receptacle, 6 is riveted or otherwise secured a rectangular metal portion, 7 which is preferably formed in two parts, 7 7 the latter comprising the closure for the pouch. Upon the closure, 7 are arranged a plurality of members, 8, which are engaged by the catching and delivery devices on the car as will be hereinafter described. The members, 8 are arranged upon a ring or plate, 9 secured to the member 7 and may be of any suitable form. However, I prefer to form them as rectangular housings open upon one side as shown. Upon opposite sides of the rectangular portion, 7 are arranged flanges, 10 which rest upon the arms of the crane. These may be formed integrally with either the parts 7 'or 7 but I prefer to form them of an angle iron and rivet the same to the desired part. The crane comprises a stand post, 11, the horizontal crane arm proper, 12 and a pair of parallel horizontally disposed arms, 13 arranged at the end of the crane arm, 12 and parallel with the track. The arms, 13 are of sufficient distance apart to receive the portion, 7 of the mail pouch with the flanges, 1O resting on said arms. I

Referring now to Figs. 3, 11., 12, 14 and 15, the catching device comprises an arm, 14 hingedly connected to the car at the door, 2 and a suitable device arranged at the end of said arm for automatically catching the mail pouch which has previously been hung upon flange, 17.

thearms, 13 of the crane. The arm, 14 is swung outwardly when approaching the crane and at such times is braced by a rod, 15 pivotally connected to the arm near its outer end and having a hook, 16 on its inner end which drops into an eye, 17 on the opposite door facing from that to which the arm, 14 is hinged. Depending from the outer end of the arm, 14 is a conical member, .16 having a horizontal base flange, 17 formed integrally therewith. The flange, 17 is provided. with an annular recess or groove, 18 in which rests a ring, 19. De- 1pending from the ring, 19 are a plurality of 00k members, 20 there being the same number of hooks, 20 as there are members, 8 on the mail pouch. The hooks, 20 extend through slots, 21 formed in the bottom of the groove 18. To grasp the mail pouch I provide means for causing the hooks, 20 to engage the members, 8 at the instant the catching device is centered above the pouch. To this end I provide means for rotating the ring, 19 at the proper time, the ring with its hooks being normally held in retracted position.

22 indicates a spring having one end connected to the ring, 19 and the other to the To accommodate the spring, a portion of the edge of the ring is cut away as at 23, in which case the pin, 24 by which the spring is attached to the flange is arranged on the face of the groove, 18. Pivoted to the edge of the flange, 17 is a dog, 25 which engages, a notch, 26 in the periphery of the ring, 20 when the latter'is in retracted position. At the instant the device is centered above the pouch the dog or latch, 25 is tripped and the spring, 22 rotates the ring, engaging the hooks, 20 with the members, 8 on the pouch. To trip the dog at the proper time I provide the tripping member, 27 extending vertically from one of the arms, 13. As soon as the hooks engage the members, 8 the pouch is removed from the crane, the same sliding'freely from between the arms, 13. To prevent the pouch from slipping from the hooks, before the arm is swung within the car, I provide a suitable locking device for holding the members, 8 upon the hooks, 20. To this end I pivotally connect a dog 28 to each of the hooks, 20 and provide the same with an inclined forward end, 29 which causes the same to rise over the member, 8 as the hooks, 20 engage therewith. As soon as the hooks are well within the members, 8 the dog, 20 drops into the position shown in Fig. 14 locking the pouch against accidental displacement. I

The delivery device is similar to the catching device, except that means are provided for disengaging the hooks from the members, 8, after the pouch is delivered between the receiving arms of the crane, the locking dogs,

28 being omitted.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 5 to 10 inclusive, 30 indicates the delivery arm hingedly connected to the car at the rear door, 3 and braced by a rod, 31 similar to the rod, 15. Depending from the end of the arm, 30 is a conical member, 32 having the base flange, 33 which is provided with an annular groove, or recess, 34 in which is rotatably mounted the ring, 35. plurality of hooks, 36 upon which the pouch to be delivered is mounted, the hooks, 36 being engaged with the members, 8 on the pouch. 37 indicates a spring for rotating the ring to disengage the hooks, 36 from the members, 8, and 38 a dog adapted to engage a notch 39in the periphery of the ring, 35 to hold the hooks. in engaged position. The pouch to be delivered is hung upon the hooks, 36, the dog 38 being in engagement with the notch, 39 and the arm swung outwardly. When the device reaches the crane the portion, 7 of the mail pouch enters between the parallel arms, 13 and as the pouch enters between the arms, the latch, 38 is tripped by a tripping member, 40 extending vertically from one of the crane arms. This permits the spring, 37 to rotate the ring, withdrawing the hooks from the members, 8, leaving the.

pouch hanging upon the crane.

Havingdescribed my invention what I claim is new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the class described, a mail car in combination with a pouch delivering device arranged near one end thereof and a pouch catching device arranged near the other end, each said device comprising an arm adapted to swing outwardly from the car, a rotary member arranged at the end of said arm, a plurality of members depending from said rotary member and adapted to engage the pouch, and means for causing said rotary member to engage said depending members with or disengage the same from the pouch at the proper time, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the class described, a mail car, incombination with mail catching and delivery devices arranged thereon and each comprising an arm hingedly mounted on the car, a de )ending member secured to the outer end of t e arm, a ring rotatably mounted in said member and having a plurality of depending hooks, adapted to engage a like number of coacting members on the mail pouch and means for rotating said ring at the proper time to disengage or engage said hooks with the members on the pouch, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the class described, a crane having a pair of parallel delivery arms and a pair of parallel receiving arms arranged parallel with the track, in combination with a mail pouch having a rectangular portion adapted to fit between said arms and rest The ring, 35 is provided with a thereon and a mail car equipped with a rotary device for removing the pouch from the delivery arms and a similar device for delivering them to the receiving arms, substan tially as described.

4. In a device of the class described, a crane having a pair of parallel delivery arms arranged parallel with the track, in combination with a mail pouch having a rectangular portion adapted to fit between said arms and rest thereon and a mail car equipped with means for engaging said pouch and removing the same from said arm, said means comprising an arm pivotally mounted upon the side of the car, a rotary member arranged at the end of said arm, means for rotating said member to engage said pouch, a dog normally holding said member in retracted position and means on said crane for tripping said dog, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. In a device of the class described, a crane having a pair of parallel receiving arms arranged parallel with the track in combina tion with a mail pouch having a rectangular portion adapted to fit between said arm and rest thereon and a mail car equipped with means for delivering said pouch to said arms and comprising an arm mounted upon the side of said car, a rotary member arranged at the end of said arm, suspending members depending from said rotary member and upon which the pouch is hung, means for rotat ng said member to disengage the suspendlng members from the pouch, a dog normally holding said members in engagement w th said pouch and means on said crane for tripiping said dog as and for the purpose speci- 6. In a device of the class described, a mail car in combination with a pouch delivering device arranged near one end thereof and a pouch catching device arranged near the other end, each said device comprising an arm pivotally mounted upon the car a rotary member arranged at the end of said arm and means for rotating said member to engage or disengage a pouch, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WALTER WENZEL.

Witnesses:

HOWARD S. AUsTIN, LYDIA RINKENBERGER. 

